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The doorbell echoed through the house. Hannah paused for a moment, her eyes sliding to the door. After a moment, she shrugged slightly and continued writing. Before she'd written a full sentence, the doorbell sounded again, insistent and grating.

Hannah sighed and shoved herself away from her desk. If she wanted the noise to stop, she would have to answer the door, because her parents were at work and Abby was out with Emily and Allison.

Her annoyance evaporated when she opened the door to find Ben and his dog shivering on the doorstep. The brown mutt looked up at her sadly the way dogs do. "Ben! What are you doing out here?"

He didn't answer. Gently, he pushed past her into the hall, the dog following. Hannah watched him carefully. He'd been acting very strange lately. A cold October rain had been falling all day, but Ben wore only jeans and a soaked T-shirt. His dark red hair was plastered to his forehead.

She shut the door against the chilling wind and turned to face Ben, only to receive a thorough soaking as the dog shook himself off. So much for her cozy sweatshirt. Stifling a groan, Hannah wiped off her glasses with her fingers, leaving little streaks across the lenses. She opened her mouth to speak, but Ben beat her to it.

"I need your help." The words shot out of his mouth as if he were throwing down a challenge. His blue eyes glittered and his cheeks were pale as he spoke. Hannah wondered if he was catching a cold. Her right eyebrow curved up unconsciously. "You need my help," she stretched the last word, and then continued with a smile, "Did you know you could have used a mode of communication that didn't result in your catching pneumonia?"

His face showed an unusual lack of humor, and she felt the smile slide off her face. "What?" That thing she hated, the worm of fear, slithered its way to the surface and she felt it settle happily in her stomach. What had happened? Did Abby get hit by a car? Was it her parents? Was her mom sick? Ashley had been working extra hours lately, covering for a sick coworker, ands maybe....No! Hannah shoved the panic away, shoved it in a box and closed the lid. Collected. Calm. Hannah would accept nothing less. Problems, she could solve. She was good at it, in fact. It was the fear she didn't know how to handle. She waited silently for Ben to continue.

For a moment, Ben stared at the ground. Hannah's foot began tapping. Finally, he looked up, his eyes calmer now, but still brighter than normal. "I need you to fix Apollo."

Hannah's first instinct was to laugh, and laugh she did. "Apollo's broken."

Ben showed no distress at her amusement. His chin raised a little, and he challenged her quietly. "You could fix it."

Hannah spluttered. "I cou—I could fix it? I—" She swallowed audibly. She probably could fix it, easily. With her mother's blueprints—yes, it was quite possible. She really had no excuse. Reluctant to agree, Hannah's mind clamped down on the one hole in Ben's story. "Why?"

Ben crumpled a little. For the first time, he looked nervous. "I—I just need you to."

Hannah fixed him with her best motherly glare. "Ben…" she warned.

"Hannah…" He screwed his eyes shut. "Fine. I have to go to Second Eden."

"What?!"

Her voice was low and fierce, demanding an explanation. Ben winced and swallowed before he continued. "You remember the stories our parents used to tell us about Second Eden? Sapphira and Goliath and companions and stuff?"

He waited for her hesitant nod.

"Right! Well, a week ago the prophet Enoch was standing in my kitchen!"

"You met a millennia-old biblical prophet?"

"Ye—Well, no. Not quite."

"Eavesdropping?" She smirked.

"Yeah, well, good thing I did!" He replied hotly. "He came to our house a week ago to see my parents. And I just happened to be right outside so…I, well, listened. He said that Second Eden needed help, that there's some weird new warriors trying to take over." He shook his head. "Mom and Dad wanted to help, I know they did, but I've been watching them and I've seen their frustration and worry." He smacked his fist into his palm. "They want to help, but it's different this time. They're older, and they're parents now. I don't think they think it's possible for them to help anymore. But I can!"

"No offense, Ben, but logically speaking, what could you do to help?"

"I know how to use a sword. Mom and Dad were younger than me when they started fighting bad guys!"

She snorted. "Barely. Ben, you're fourteen!"

His face grew sober, and he paused a moment before replying, "Hannah, I know I'm young, and I know I sound like some stupid kid, but I need to do this. I feel that I'm meant to do this."

Hannah considered him a moment more. He really did seem to believe what he said. Maybe she'd regret it, but she was going to help him. She shot Ben a thin smile. "Alright, I'll do it."

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